Professor Severus Snape ran his hand through his hair. The meeting with the Ministry of Magic had not gone well at all.
Despite Dumbledore's reasoning, the minister, Cornelius Fudge had refused to remove the dementors from Azkaban.
Snape leaned against the edge of his desk, flipping through a list of ingredients from the day's classes.
"Professor?" Harry Potter stood in the doorway, holding an armful of books.
Snape couldn't see them, but he knew that Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were lurking somewhere close by. "Yes, Potter?" His voice seemed tired, and almost pained.
"Um, the assignment you gave us today... Were we supposed to use dragonsbane or hollywart as a substitute for mulflower?"
Snape stared blankly at Harry. His eyes traced over the fifth year student, from his messy, black hair, to the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. "Hollywart," he muttered.
"Told you!" screeched a feminine voice from somewhere out in the hall.
"Shut up!" whispered another voice, harshly.
"Thanks," Harry mumbled, turning to leave.
"Potter?"
Harry stopped and turned to face Professor Snape. "Yes?"
"I- never mind. You're dismissed."
Harry backed out of the room with a puzzled look on his face.
"What was that all about?" Hermione hissed.
"Yeah," piped Ron. "He was being... nice."
Harry shrugged. They began to make their way back to the Griffindor tower.
"Told you it was hollywart." Hermione had a very satisfied look on er face.
"Maybe all the stuff with you-know-who has him all out of sorts." Ron gracefully changed the subject, giving Hermione a disdainful look.
Hermione made a face.
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Snape plopped down into his chair. He pushed a pile of un-graded reports to the side, to reveal the day's issue of the Daily Prophet.
A picture of a man in blood red robes held a position on the front page. The words under the picture made Snape's stomach lurch.
"The body of former Durmstrang headmaster K. Karkaroff was discovered early this morning in middle London. The cause of death was reported to be one of the unforgivable curses, although exactly which one has not yet been released. No suspects have been identified at this time."
Snape casually pulled the sleeve to reveal a fading tattoo of a skull, with a snake for a tongue. He ran his fingers lightly over the image.
There had been no sign of Voldemort since the Triwizard tournament, but everyone knew that the dark lord was again rising to power.
Snape shook his head and began to straighten his desk.
A small, dark brown owl fluttered through the open doorway and landed on his desk. It had a large black envelope tied to its' leg, with the words Professor Severus Snape scrawled on it. The owl snipped the letter free, and flew back out.
Snape stared at the letter. He glanced at the empty doorway, and then back to the black envelope.
He reached forwards; when his fingers touched the black parchment, he felt a jerk somewhere deep in his abdomen, as he was pulled through the portkey.
He found himself standing inside an old cemetery that looked as though it hadn't seen a caretaker in years. The grass was spongy and somewhat damp. Cracked marble tombstones stood toppled over and covered with brownish moss.
Thick, white fog swirled around the run-down grave markers.
Snape took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, but his heart rate refused to slow down.
He recognized this place. Memories of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort played inside his mind.
Closing his eyes, Snape apparated.
When he re-opened his eyes, his heart sank. He was standing no more than two paces from where he had started, still in the graveyard.
"Severus, my old friend. How are you getting along these days?" Leaning against a sturdy looking grave marker, a tall, slender man with icy blonde hair and burning red eyes stared at Snape.
Snape took a step backwards, and reached for his wand. He cursed silently to himself when he felt empty fabric. He must have left his wand back at the school.
"What's the matter, Severus? No big greeting for your old master?"
Snape opened his mouth, but could think of nothing to say.
Voldemort began to circle him like a vulture. "You deserted me, Severus, and that makes me very angry."
"What do you want with me?" Snape asked, trying to make his legs stop shaking.
"Harry Potter," replied Voldemort simply. "But that can't be a surprise to you. You always mess up my plans to destroy that wretched little boy, and now you will pay."
Snape took another step backwards. ""You couldn't even kill an inexperienced student. What makes you think that you have any chance against the ministry?"
Voldemort smiled. He waved his hands, motioning to the area behind Snape, where Death Eaters were beginning to appear.
"Now, I did Karkaroff fast," Voldemort snarled. "But I think that I'll kill you slowly."
Snape balled his hands into fists, his jaw set with determination.
Voldemort flicked his wand in the air. "Crucio!"
A force like fire flowed through Snape. He doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach.
The pain kept coming; it climaxed into an almost unbearable agony before finally dying away, leaving Snape writhing on the ground.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Voldemort seethed. The dark lord knelt down and gently caressed Snape's cheek. "Why did you desert me?"
Severus glared into Voldemort's eyes. "You can't win this."
"Crucio!" Voldemort laughed wickedly, listening to Snape's screams of pain.
"Like music, wouldn't you say, Peter?" Voldemort addressed an approaching Death Eater.
Peter Pettigrew removed his hood and bowed to his master.
"You!" Snape grunted. "Sirius was telling the truth..."
Peter snickered. "You didn't actually think that that sap could ever have served Lord Voldemort, do you?"
Anger flared up in Snape's eyes. "At least he isn't a sniveling little rat like you."
Peter raised his wand. "Avada Ked-"
"Stop!" Voldemort put a hand on Peter's wand and lowered it forcefully. "He isn't going to die... yet."
A malicious smile snaked across Voldemort's face. "Crucio!"
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Ron yawned and leaned back into his chair, playing with a bit of dust on the end of his wand.
Hermione glanced nervously at the door. "Where is Snape?"
Harry shook his head. "I haven't seen him since yesterday, but the longer we have no teacher for this class, the better."
Hermione shot him a dirty look. "Well, I for one came to this school to learn, not to goof off!"
Ron twitched the piece of dust to the floor, and sat up straight. "I agree with Harry. This class is a total drag."
Hermione snorted. She glanced at the door as Profess or Dumbledore walked in.
The potions classroom became silent, and all eyes were glued on the headmaster.
"Children, please return to your house common rooms. Professor Snape is unable to make his class today."
The classroom cleared in a mere matter of seconds, but Ron, Harry and Hermione lingered behind.
Dumbledore gave them a soft smile before exiting back into the hallway.
Hermione paused for a moment, and then slowly made her way up towards Snape's desk.
"What are you doing?" Ron hissed, glancing at the empty doorway.
"I want my test!" Hermione answered. "Snape never gave them back to us, and I want to know what I made."
"You know that you made an A." Ron said, as Hermione began ruffling through the papers on the Professor's desk.
"I wonder where Snape is?" Harry prodded at a strange looking flower in a nearby cabinet. "I mean... He was acting kind of strange yesterday."
"You know what I think?" Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron.
"I think that Snape went back to the Death Eaters."
Harry blinked. "No way. Dumbledore said that he'd turned away from Voldemort forever."
Ron shuddered. "Could you please not say that name again?"
"Sorry..."
Hermione began to shuffle through the papers once more. "I don't think that Snape would return to he-who-must-be-named, and I don't know where he is, but..." she paused.
Harry and Ron turned their gaze to Hermione.
She was holding a thin black twig. "Why would he leave his wand?"
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Snape lay on the ground. His body burned and ached every time he moved.
The circle of Death Eaters had remained silent and in place; Lord Voldemort was now conversing quietly with Peter.
Snape weakly pulled himself to his knees and placed a shaking hand on his abdomen.
Voldemort glanced over Peter's shoulder and smiled. "Severus, Severus, Severus. Why did you desert me?"
Snape winced.
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at the ground at Snape's feet. "Impersio."
A large pointed pike spilt from the ground and small green vines snaked out and began to twist around Snape's arms and legs.
Sharp black thorns dug through his robes and into skin, letting scarlet blood seep through the cloth.
The living green tendrils pulled Snape upright against the pike, squeezing tighter, coaxing more blood from his veins.
Voldemort's face warped into another malicious grin. "Crucio!"
^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^^
"We are absolutely NOT going to Dumbledore!" Hermione insisted.
"But..." Ron began to protest.
"No! W weren't even supposed to be around his desk, let alone looking through his papers." Hermione settled down in her armchair, making sure that no one in the Griffindor common room was listening to their conversation. "I'm sure that Dumbledore will sort everything tout."
"Then why did you keep that?" Ron gestured to the strange wand in Hermione's hands.
"Well, I... I..." she stuttered.
Harry sat gazing into the fire. A thought was playing deep in the back of his mind. "A loyal servant, one who will run away, and one who has turned away forever..."
His heart began pounding. "Snape is in trouble," he sputtered.
Hermione gave Harry a curious look. "How do you know?"
"I just know." He stood up and started towards the door, motioning for Ron and Hermione to follow him.
"Where are we going?" Hermione huffed, taking two steps at a time, trying to keep up with Harry and Ron.
"To get help," Harry called over his shoulder.
He wound around corners and leapt through doors. He finally stopped when he reached the Teacher's Lounge.
A large sign in front of the door read: DO NOT DISTURB, and Harry signaled for Ron and Hermione to be quite.
Teacher's voices could be heard from inside.
"... don't know what we would do if you-know-who ever attacked the school." Madame Pomfrey's voice carried through the door.
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Ron clamed his hand over it.
"We will deal with it if the time comes." Dumbledore sounded as though he were right inside the door.
"But what about Snape?" Professor McGonagall sounded extremely agitated.
Hermione pointed to Snape's wand and then gestured to the door.
Ron shrugged.
Harry sat thought for a moment, and then stood up, shaking his head.
"There is nothing that we can do for him at the moment," Dumbledore replied.
"But he's... you-know-who will... he will be dead before you people do something!" Professor Trelawney screeched.
"Sybill, please..." McGonagall started.
"No! You have to do something!"
"Sybill, there is nothing that we can do right now..."
"But... but..." She made a choked up noise, and footsteps were heard coming towards the door.
Harry stood up and beckoned for Ron and Hermione to follow him again. They turned the corner just as the Teacher's Lounge door flew open.
"Where are we going?" Hermione whispered, following Harry and Ron into the trophy room.
"I think that I know where Snape is," Harry replied. He let his gaze fall to the Triwizard Tournament.
Hermione's mouth fell open. "But... but... what about... Cedric?" She handed Harry Snape's wand.
"The trophy," Harry answered. "The Triwizard cup. It was a portkey."
"But what if it has been disenchanted... er, disenchanted. Ron stared at the gleaming trophy in the largest display case.
"Well, there is only one way to find out." Harry took out his wand, holding it at the ready, and pushed the glass away.
His fingers reached for the trophy.
Professor Trelawney walked passed the door; she glanced into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. "Potter! What are you doing?" She raced forward.
Harry's outstretched fingers touched the cup as Trelawney's hand grabbed his robes. Both teacher and student were pulled through the portkey.
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Ron and Hermione stared at Professor Trelawney and Harry as they disappeared through the portkey.
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They slid into the graveyard, just as Harry and Cedric had done before.
"Harry! What did you think that you were..." Professor Trelawney stared at her surroundings.
"We have to get out of here, Harry. She grabbed the sleeves of his robes."
Harry glanced around the cemetery. His jaw dropped when he saw Snape; Professor Trelawney gasped.
The potions professor seemed to be tied to a large point ed pylon by an odd green vine which slithered this way and that, tightening and loosening it's grip. His black Hogwarts robes hung limply, weighted down by a thick sticky liquid, and his head was bent forward.
Professor Trelawney gave the cemetery a thorough once over, and rushed towards Snape with Harry close at her heels.
Trelawney reached for the vines spiraling around Snape's body, but all she managed to do was slice her hands up.
Harry thought for a moment, while Trelawney pulled out her wand and began to try to disenchant the vine. She let out an exasperated yell when nothing happened.
Harry reached inside his robes and pulled out the knife that Sirius had given him and started to slash at the vines.
A thin purple liquid oozed out where Harry hit them with the knife, and they finally began to recede.
Snape fell forward and hit the ground with a soft thud.
Trelawney knelt down and rolled him onto his back, pulling his head and shoulders into her lap. "Severus... Severus please, wake up..." Large tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Snape groaned. He opened his eyes and blinked, trying to focus. "Sybill? How... what..."
Trelawney placed her hand over his trembling lips. She touched his cheek gently with her fingers.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Harry's scar began to tingle. He glanced around, half expecting to see lord Voldemort; half hoping that this was a dream.
Hooded figures began to appear, forming a circle around Harry and the two Professors.
At first he thought that they were Death Eaters, wearing the dark robes of Lord Voldemort, but as they got closer, Harry realized what they were. "Dementors..."
Trelawney looked up at Harry as if he were crazy. "Wha..." she had noticed the hooded figures also.
Snape pulled himself up into a sitting position, moaning loudly.
The dementors parted, leaving only enough space for one man to step through.
Lord Voldemort smiled. "Well, well, well... This is quite a present that I have got here. Two birds with one stone, eh?"
Harry realized something. He was holding both his wand and Snape's.
He moved to stand in front of Professor Trelawney, slowly waving Snape's wand in front of her face, out of sight of Voldemort.
She reached for the wand, but Snape's hand found it first.
"Just a happy little family," sneered Voldemort. "And now you can all die together." He raised his wand.
Harry reacted; he pulled his wand out. "Expellairmus!"
Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand and sailed straight into Harry's. Voldemort started, almost not believing what had just happened as Harry dropped his own wand and snapped the dark lord's in half.
"No!" cried Voldemort, dropping to his knees.
The dementors began to advance, and Harry began to feel the icy coldness of their presence.
He took a step backwards, and felt a shaky arm around his shoulder.
Snape had struggled to his feet, and was pulling Harry and Professor Trelawney behind him.
The dementors came closer and closer.
Discarding the remnants of Voldemort's wand, Harry reached down for his own. He muscled up all his strength into finding a happy thought, but the dementors were getting so close... "Ex... ex... expecto..."
Harry looked around frantically, trying to find anything that could help him.
"Expecto patronum!" Two large, silvery white patronus charged through the dementors; a large dog and a wolf. The creatures began to circle The two Professors and Harry, growling and snapping at the dementors, who started to back away.
Lupin and Sirius fought their way through the remaining dementors, carrying the golden trophy. "Hey! Ron and Hermione thought that you guys could use a little help." Lupin called to Harry.
"No, Master! No!" Peter leapt out from nowhere, rushing at Harry with his wand raised. "Crucio!"
Harry tightened his stomach, expecting to feel the curse hit him at any moment. Time seemed to slow down; Snape grabbed Harry's arm, throwing him out of the way.
The curse slammed into the professor instead, sending him careening into the ground. He whimpered a few inaudible words and then lay silent.
Sirius pointed his wand at Peter, and mumbled a strange incantation.
Peter's eyes widened. He squealed loudly and began to shrink. "No!" he screamed, becoming less and less human. The final result of Sirius' curse was a shabby looking rat; Scabbers had returned.
Voldemort stood and started forward.
"Enough of this," Lupin sat the trophy down onto the ground. "Everybody grab on."
Professor Trelawney was crying again. Snape lay where he had fallen, not moving.
"Oh no..." Harry scrambled to his knees, and crawled to the fallen teacher.
Trelawney gently caressed the sides of his face. "Severus? Severus, please. I'm sorry," she cried. "I love you."
"Come on!" Lupin yelled. He and Sirius placed a hand on the trophy. Harry reached out to touch it also.
Professor Trelawney grasped one of Snape's hands in hers, and reached the other out for the trophy, activating the portkey.
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Harry heard Hermione scream. The Hogwarts trophy room was swarming with teachers when Harry, Snape, Trelawney, Sirius, and Lupin appeared.
Professor Sprout gasped when she saw Snape, and promptly fainted.
Dumbledore elbowed his way through the crowd.
Harry's vision blurred. He heard Dumbledore shouting loudly, and then silence and darkness overtook him.
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Harry slowly pulled back into consciousness. He heard Dumbledore talking in a soft voice, and Sirius answered.
He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. He was laying on a futon in the headmaster's office; Sirius and Lupin were involved in a deep conversation with Dumbledore . "...little buggar snapped his wand right in two!" Sirius motioned to Harry.
Dumbledore nodded, a pleased smile crossing his face. "That will slow down the uprising."
Harry closed his eyes again, trying to make the awful pounding in his head subside, but he caught a snitch of another conversation.
He reopened his eyes.
Trelawney and Snape were standing off in a far corner of Dumbledore's office, encompassed in each other's arms.
Trelawney looked as though she had just stopped crying; Snape looked terrible. His robes ripped and torn, and hung stiffly, stained with blood. His face was bruised, and he looked extremely tired.
"But you didn't loose me," he whispered to Trelawney, running a hand through her long hair.
"I'm so sorry." She leaned into his chest, sounding as though she would start crying again at any moment. "I was scared, Severus. I..."
Snape placed his hand over her shaking lips, just as she had done earlier. "I love you," he said. He moved his head to the side and leaned in to kiss her.
Harry groaned, and sat up; his head started to spin.
"Harry? Are you okay?" Sirius knelt by Harry's side.
"I'm fine," he moaned.
Dumbledore stared at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "I think that all our young wizard needs is some sleep. Can you make it back to your house?"
"Yes..." Harry muttered, standing up. "I think so."
Dumbledore smiled. "If you need any assistance..."
Harry shook his head. "I'll be fine." He started towards the door.
"Potter?"
Harry turned around. Snape gave Professor Trelawney a nervous look.
"Could you... don't..."
Harry smiled weakly. "Don't worry. I wont."
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Things resumed the next week. Ron and Hermione were glad to have Harry back safely, and they listened quietly as he recounted what had happened in the cemetery, leaving out the promised "aspects".
The Triwizard cup was disenchanted and locked away on a high shelf in the trophy room.
Classes were the same; Harry received incessant teasing from Draco Malfoy, as expected.
In the last five minutes of Potions, Harry and Ron had gotten into trouble for talking, and Snape had deducted fifteen points from Griffindor.
"It's nice to see that he is back to his old self," grumbled Ron on his way out the door.
Harry glanced back into the classroom at Snape. The corner of the Professor's mouth turned up into a quick, friendly smile, and then he had resumed grading papers.
Despite Dumbledore's reasoning, the minister, Cornelius Fudge had refused to remove the dementors from Azkaban.
Snape leaned against the edge of his desk, flipping through a list of ingredients from the day's classes.
"Professor?" Harry Potter stood in the doorway, holding an armful of books.
Snape couldn't see them, but he knew that Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger were lurking somewhere close by. "Yes, Potter?" His voice seemed tired, and almost pained.
"Um, the assignment you gave us today... Were we supposed to use dragonsbane or hollywart as a substitute for mulflower?"
Snape stared blankly at Harry. His eyes traced over the fifth year student, from his messy, black hair, to the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. "Hollywart," he muttered.
"Told you!" screeched a feminine voice from somewhere out in the hall.
"Shut up!" whispered another voice, harshly.
"Thanks," Harry mumbled, turning to leave.
"Potter?"
Harry stopped and turned to face Professor Snape. "Yes?"
"I- never mind. You're dismissed."
Harry backed out of the room with a puzzled look on his face.
"What was that all about?" Hermione hissed.
"Yeah," piped Ron. "He was being... nice."
Harry shrugged. They began to make their way back to the Griffindor tower.
"Told you it was hollywart." Hermione had a very satisfied look on er face.
"Maybe all the stuff with you-know-who has him all out of sorts." Ron gracefully changed the subject, giving Hermione a disdainful look.
Hermione made a face.
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Snape plopped down into his chair. He pushed a pile of un-graded reports to the side, to reveal the day's issue of the Daily Prophet.
A picture of a man in blood red robes held a position on the front page. The words under the picture made Snape's stomach lurch.
"The body of former Durmstrang headmaster K. Karkaroff was discovered early this morning in middle London. The cause of death was reported to be one of the unforgivable curses, although exactly which one has not yet been released. No suspects have been identified at this time."
Snape casually pulled the sleeve to reveal a fading tattoo of a skull, with a snake for a tongue. He ran his fingers lightly over the image.
There had been no sign of Voldemort since the Triwizard tournament, but everyone knew that the dark lord was again rising to power.
Snape shook his head and began to straighten his desk.
A small, dark brown owl fluttered through the open doorway and landed on his desk. It had a large black envelope tied to its' leg, with the words Professor Severus Snape scrawled on it. The owl snipped the letter free, and flew back out.
Snape stared at the letter. He glanced at the empty doorway, and then back to the black envelope.
He reached forwards; when his fingers touched the black parchment, he felt a jerk somewhere deep in his abdomen, as he was pulled through the portkey.
He found himself standing inside an old cemetery that looked as though it hadn't seen a caretaker in years. The grass was spongy and somewhat damp. Cracked marble tombstones stood toppled over and covered with brownish moss.
Thick, white fog swirled around the run-down grave markers.
Snape took a deep breath, attempting to calm himself, but his heart rate refused to slow down.
He recognized this place. Memories of the Death Eaters and Lord Voldemort played inside his mind.
Closing his eyes, Snape apparated.
When he re-opened his eyes, his heart sank. He was standing no more than two paces from where he had started, still in the graveyard.
"Severus, my old friend. How are you getting along these days?" Leaning against a sturdy looking grave marker, a tall, slender man with icy blonde hair and burning red eyes stared at Snape.
Snape took a step backwards, and reached for his wand. He cursed silently to himself when he felt empty fabric. He must have left his wand back at the school.
"What's the matter, Severus? No big greeting for your old master?"
Snape opened his mouth, but could think of nothing to say.
Voldemort began to circle him like a vulture. "You deserted me, Severus, and that makes me very angry."
"What do you want with me?" Snape asked, trying to make his legs stop shaking.
"Harry Potter," replied Voldemort simply. "But that can't be a surprise to you. You always mess up my plans to destroy that wretched little boy, and now you will pay."
Snape took another step backwards. ""You couldn't even kill an inexperienced student. What makes you think that you have any chance against the ministry?"
Voldemort smiled. He waved his hands, motioning to the area behind Snape, where Death Eaters were beginning to appear.
"Now, I did Karkaroff fast," Voldemort snarled. "But I think that I'll kill you slowly."
Snape balled his hands into fists, his jaw set with determination.
Voldemort flicked his wand in the air. "Crucio!"
A force like fire flowed through Snape. He doubled over in pain, clutching his stomach.
The pain kept coming; it climaxed into an almost unbearable agony before finally dying away, leaving Snape writhing on the ground.
"It hurts, doesn't it?" Voldemort seethed. The dark lord knelt down and gently caressed Snape's cheek. "Why did you desert me?"
Severus glared into Voldemort's eyes. "You can't win this."
"Crucio!" Voldemort laughed wickedly, listening to Snape's screams of pain.
"Like music, wouldn't you say, Peter?" Voldemort addressed an approaching Death Eater.
Peter Pettigrew removed his hood and bowed to his master.
"You!" Snape grunted. "Sirius was telling the truth..."
Peter snickered. "You didn't actually think that that sap could ever have served Lord Voldemort, do you?"
Anger flared up in Snape's eyes. "At least he isn't a sniveling little rat like you."
Peter raised his wand. "Avada Ked-"
"Stop!" Voldemort put a hand on Peter's wand and lowered it forcefully. "He isn't going to die... yet."
A malicious smile snaked across Voldemort's face. "Crucio!"
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Ron yawned and leaned back into his chair, playing with a bit of dust on the end of his wand.
Hermione glanced nervously at the door. "Where is Snape?"
Harry shook his head. "I haven't seen him since yesterday, but the longer we have no teacher for this class, the better."
Hermione shot him a dirty look. "Well, I for one came to this school to learn, not to goof off!"
Ron twitched the piece of dust to the floor, and sat up straight. "I agree with Harry. This class is a total drag."
Hermione snorted. She glanced at the door as Profess or Dumbledore walked in.
The potions classroom became silent, and all eyes were glued on the headmaster.
"Children, please return to your house common rooms. Professor Snape is unable to make his class today."
The classroom cleared in a mere matter of seconds, but Ron, Harry and Hermione lingered behind.
Dumbledore gave them a soft smile before exiting back into the hallway.
Hermione paused for a moment, and then slowly made her way up towards Snape's desk.
"What are you doing?" Ron hissed, glancing at the empty doorway.
"I want my test!" Hermione answered. "Snape never gave them back to us, and I want to know what I made."
"You know that you made an A." Ron said, as Hermione began ruffling through the papers on the Professor's desk.
"I wonder where Snape is?" Harry prodded at a strange looking flower in a nearby cabinet. "I mean... He was acting kind of strange yesterday."
"You know what I think?" Harry and Hermione turned to look at Ron.
"I think that Snape went back to the Death Eaters."
Harry blinked. "No way. Dumbledore said that he'd turned away from Voldemort forever."
Ron shuddered. "Could you please not say that name again?"
"Sorry..."
Hermione began to shuffle through the papers once more. "I don't think that Snape would return to he-who-must-be-named, and I don't know where he is, but..." she paused.
Harry and Ron turned their gaze to Hermione.
She was holding a thin black twig. "Why would he leave his wand?"
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Snape lay on the ground. His body burned and ached every time he moved.
The circle of Death Eaters had remained silent and in place; Lord Voldemort was now conversing quietly with Peter.
Snape weakly pulled himself to his knees and placed a shaking hand on his abdomen.
Voldemort glanced over Peter's shoulder and smiled. "Severus, Severus, Severus. Why did you desert me?"
Snape winced.
Voldemort raised his wand and pointed it at the ground at Snape's feet. "Impersio."
A large pointed pike spilt from the ground and small green vines snaked out and began to twist around Snape's arms and legs.
Sharp black thorns dug through his robes and into skin, letting scarlet blood seep through the cloth.
The living green tendrils pulled Snape upright against the pike, squeezing tighter, coaxing more blood from his veins.
Voldemort's face warped into another malicious grin. "Crucio!"
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"We are absolutely NOT going to Dumbledore!" Hermione insisted.
"But..." Ron began to protest.
"No! W weren't even supposed to be around his desk, let alone looking through his papers." Hermione settled down in her armchair, making sure that no one in the Griffindor common room was listening to their conversation. "I'm sure that Dumbledore will sort everything tout."
"Then why did you keep that?" Ron gestured to the strange wand in Hermione's hands.
"Well, I... I..." she stuttered.
Harry sat gazing into the fire. A thought was playing deep in the back of his mind. "A loyal servant, one who will run away, and one who has turned away forever..."
His heart began pounding. "Snape is in trouble," he sputtered.
Hermione gave Harry a curious look. "How do you know?"
"I just know." He stood up and started towards the door, motioning for Ron and Hermione to follow him.
"Where are we going?" Hermione huffed, taking two steps at a time, trying to keep up with Harry and Ron.
"To get help," Harry called over his shoulder.
He wound around corners and leapt through doors. He finally stopped when he reached the Teacher's Lounge.
A large sign in front of the door read: DO NOT DISTURB, and Harry signaled for Ron and Hermione to be quite.
Teacher's voices could be heard from inside.
"... don't know what we would do if you-know-who ever attacked the school." Madame Pomfrey's voice carried through the door.
Hermione opened her mouth to say something, but Ron clamed his hand over it.
"We will deal with it if the time comes." Dumbledore sounded as though he were right inside the door.
"But what about Snape?" Professor McGonagall sounded extremely agitated.
Hermione pointed to Snape's wand and then gestured to the door.
Ron shrugged.
Harry sat thought for a moment, and then stood up, shaking his head.
"There is nothing that we can do for him at the moment," Dumbledore replied.
"But he's... you-know-who will... he will be dead before you people do something!" Professor Trelawney screeched.
"Sybill, please..." McGonagall started.
"No! You have to do something!"
"Sybill, there is nothing that we can do right now..."
"But... but..." She made a choked up noise, and footsteps were heard coming towards the door.
Harry stood up and beckoned for Ron and Hermione to follow him again. They turned the corner just as the Teacher's Lounge door flew open.
"Where are we going?" Hermione whispered, following Harry and Ron into the trophy room.
"I think that I know where Snape is," Harry replied. He let his gaze fall to the Triwizard Tournament.
Hermione's mouth fell open. "But... but... what about... Cedric?" She handed Harry Snape's wand.
"The trophy," Harry answered. "The Triwizard cup. It was a portkey."
"But what if it has been disenchanted... er, disenchanted. Ron stared at the gleaming trophy in the largest display case.
"Well, there is only one way to find out." Harry took out his wand, holding it at the ready, and pushed the glass away.
His fingers reached for the trophy.
Professor Trelawney walked passed the door; she glanced into the room and stopped dead in her tracks. "Potter! What are you doing?" She raced forward.
Harry's outstretched fingers touched the cup as Trelawney's hand grabbed his robes. Both teacher and student were pulled through the portkey.
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Ron and Hermione stared at Professor Trelawney and Harry as they disappeared through the portkey.
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They slid into the graveyard, just as Harry and Cedric had done before.
"Harry! What did you think that you were..." Professor Trelawney stared at her surroundings.
"We have to get out of here, Harry. She grabbed the sleeves of his robes."
Harry glanced around the cemetery. His jaw dropped when he saw Snape; Professor Trelawney gasped.
The potions professor seemed to be tied to a large point ed pylon by an odd green vine which slithered this way and that, tightening and loosening it's grip. His black Hogwarts robes hung limply, weighted down by a thick sticky liquid, and his head was bent forward.
Professor Trelawney gave the cemetery a thorough once over, and rushed towards Snape with Harry close at her heels.
Trelawney reached for the vines spiraling around Snape's body, but all she managed to do was slice her hands up.
Harry thought for a moment, while Trelawney pulled out her wand and began to try to disenchant the vine. She let out an exasperated yell when nothing happened.
Harry reached inside his robes and pulled out the knife that Sirius had given him and started to slash at the vines.
A thin purple liquid oozed out where Harry hit them with the knife, and they finally began to recede.
Snape fell forward and hit the ground with a soft thud.
Trelawney knelt down and rolled him onto his back, pulling his head and shoulders into her lap. "Severus... Severus please, wake up..." Large tears were streaming down her cheeks.
Snape groaned. He opened his eyes and blinked, trying to focus. "Sybill? How... what..."
Trelawney placed her hand over his trembling lips. She touched his cheek gently with her fingers.
"I'm so sorry," she whispered.
Harry's scar began to tingle. He glanced around, half expecting to see lord Voldemort; half hoping that this was a dream.
Hooded figures began to appear, forming a circle around Harry and the two Professors.
At first he thought that they were Death Eaters, wearing the dark robes of Lord Voldemort, but as they got closer, Harry realized what they were. "Dementors..."
Trelawney looked up at Harry as if he were crazy. "Wha..." she had noticed the hooded figures also.
Snape pulled himself up into a sitting position, moaning loudly.
The dementors parted, leaving only enough space for one man to step through.
Lord Voldemort smiled. "Well, well, well... This is quite a present that I have got here. Two birds with one stone, eh?"
Harry realized something. He was holding both his wand and Snape's.
He moved to stand in front of Professor Trelawney, slowly waving Snape's wand in front of her face, out of sight of Voldemort.
She reached for the wand, but Snape's hand found it first.
"Just a happy little family," sneered Voldemort. "And now you can all die together." He raised his wand.
Harry reacted; he pulled his wand out. "Expellairmus!"
Voldemort's wand flew out of his hand and sailed straight into Harry's. Voldemort started, almost not believing what had just happened as Harry dropped his own wand and snapped the dark lord's in half.
"No!" cried Voldemort, dropping to his knees.
The dementors began to advance, and Harry began to feel the icy coldness of their presence.
He took a step backwards, and felt a shaky arm around his shoulder.
Snape had struggled to his feet, and was pulling Harry and Professor Trelawney behind him.
The dementors came closer and closer.
Discarding the remnants of Voldemort's wand, Harry reached down for his own. He muscled up all his strength into finding a happy thought, but the dementors were getting so close... "Ex... ex... expecto..."
Harry looked around frantically, trying to find anything that could help him.
"Expecto patronum!" Two large, silvery white patronus charged through the dementors; a large dog and a wolf. The creatures began to circle The two Professors and Harry, growling and snapping at the dementors, who started to back away.
Lupin and Sirius fought their way through the remaining dementors, carrying the golden trophy. "Hey! Ron and Hermione thought that you guys could use a little help." Lupin called to Harry.
"No, Master! No!" Peter leapt out from nowhere, rushing at Harry with his wand raised. "Crucio!"
Harry tightened his stomach, expecting to feel the curse hit him at any moment. Time seemed to slow down; Snape grabbed Harry's arm, throwing him out of the way.
The curse slammed into the professor instead, sending him careening into the ground. He whimpered a few inaudible words and then lay silent.
Sirius pointed his wand at Peter, and mumbled a strange incantation.
Peter's eyes widened. He squealed loudly and began to shrink. "No!" he screamed, becoming less and less human. The final result of Sirius' curse was a shabby looking rat; Scabbers had returned.
Voldemort stood and started forward.
"Enough of this," Lupin sat the trophy down onto the ground. "Everybody grab on."
Professor Trelawney was crying again. Snape lay where he had fallen, not moving.
"Oh no..." Harry scrambled to his knees, and crawled to the fallen teacher.
Trelawney gently caressed the sides of his face. "Severus? Severus, please. I'm sorry," she cried. "I love you."
"Come on!" Lupin yelled. He and Sirius placed a hand on the trophy. Harry reached out to touch it also.
Professor Trelawney grasped one of Snape's hands in hers, and reached the other out for the trophy, activating the portkey.
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Harry heard Hermione scream. The Hogwarts trophy room was swarming with teachers when Harry, Snape, Trelawney, Sirius, and Lupin appeared.
Professor Sprout gasped when she saw Snape, and promptly fainted.
Dumbledore elbowed his way through the crowd.
Harry's vision blurred. He heard Dumbledore shouting loudly, and then silence and darkness overtook him.
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Harry slowly pulled back into consciousness. He heard Dumbledore talking in a soft voice, and Sirius answered.
He blinked a few times, trying to clear his vision. He was laying on a futon in the headmaster's office; Sirius and Lupin were involved in a deep conversation with Dumbledore . "...little buggar snapped his wand right in two!" Sirius motioned to Harry.
Dumbledore nodded, a pleased smile crossing his face. "That will slow down the uprising."
Harry closed his eyes again, trying to make the awful pounding in his head subside, but he caught a snitch of another conversation.
He reopened his eyes.
Trelawney and Snape were standing off in a far corner of Dumbledore's office, encompassed in each other's arms.
Trelawney looked as though she had just stopped crying; Snape looked terrible. His robes ripped and torn, and hung stiffly, stained with blood. His face was bruised, and he looked extremely tired.
"But you didn't loose me," he whispered to Trelawney, running a hand through her long hair.
"I'm so sorry." She leaned into his chest, sounding as though she would start crying again at any moment. "I was scared, Severus. I..."
Snape placed his hand over her shaking lips, just as she had done earlier. "I love you," he said. He moved his head to the side and leaned in to kiss her.
Harry groaned, and sat up; his head started to spin.
"Harry? Are you okay?" Sirius knelt by Harry's side.
"I'm fine," he moaned.
Dumbledore stared at Harry over his half-moon spectacles. "I think that all our young wizard needs is some sleep. Can you make it back to your house?"
"Yes..." Harry muttered, standing up. "I think so."
Dumbledore smiled. "If you need any assistance..."
Harry shook his head. "I'll be fine." He started towards the door.
"Potter?"
Harry turned around. Snape gave Professor Trelawney a nervous look.
"Could you... don't..."
Harry smiled weakly. "Don't worry. I wont."
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Things resumed the next week. Ron and Hermione were glad to have Harry back safely, and they listened quietly as he recounted what had happened in the cemetery, leaving out the promised "aspects".
The Triwizard cup was disenchanted and locked away on a high shelf in the trophy room.
Classes were the same; Harry received incessant teasing from Draco Malfoy, as expected.
In the last five minutes of Potions, Harry and Ron had gotten into trouble for talking, and Snape had deducted fifteen points from Griffindor.
"It's nice to see that he is back to his old self," grumbled Ron on his way out the door.
Harry glanced back into the classroom at Snape. The corner of the Professor's mouth turned up into a quick, friendly smile, and then he had resumed grading papers.